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Augmented reality takes over from tester tubes for makeup consumers

February 2, 2018

You might love nothing more than browsing the beauty aisles for a quick pick-me-up, but do you open the "tester" tubes? If the answer is a resounding "no," you're not alone.

New augmented reality platforms are stepping in to allow consumers to try out cosmetics - AFPAccording to a study by beauty app Perfect365, 63% of Millennial and Generation Z makeup consumers said they would not use a tester lipstick in a store, due to concerns about germs and contamination. Instead, the survey revealed, most beauty fans would prefer to virtually try on any potential makeup purchases using a digital platform -- especially when it comes to lipstick.

"Sanitary concerns around in-store makeup testers are coming to the forefront, and like many other industries, technology is primary to solving this dilemma," said Cara Harbor, Director of Marketing for Perfect365, Inc. in a statement. "As with many of our clients, beauty brands are realizing the multiple benefits of virtual makeup and connecting with Millennials and GenerationZs on the digital platform they live on."

The news comes months after a scandal broke involving a US woman who allegedly contracted the herpes simplex virus from a lipstick tester -- a story that made headlines throughout the beauty industry.

Luckily for makeup aficionados, it has never been easier to virtually test out beauty products before committing to a purchase. In addition to Perfect365's own virtual beauty app, which allows users to play around with different makeup looks thanks to face detection technology and step-by-step tutorials, brands such as L'Oréal Paris, Charlotte Tilbury, Estée Lauder, Lancôme and NYX Professional Makeup have all teamed up with various augmented reality and virtual reality developers over the past year, to offering customers a range of immersive virtual experiences or tutorials.